DCNR grant helps plant trees, improve water quality in the PA Wilds
- by Guest Contributor
- January 15, 2021
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FROM DCNR REPORTS
The water quality in northcentral Pennsylvania will get a little better thanks in part to a grant from the PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR).
DCNR provided the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy $45,000 to plant more than 15 acres of streamside forests in the Kettle Creek Watershed, which includes parts of Tioga, Potter, and Clinton Counties. Its water flows into the West Branch of the Susquehanna River and eventually reaches the Chesapeake Bay.
Grant funding came from the Environmental Stewardship Fund.
The funding also supported landowner outreach and education on the value of streamside forests. The conservancy matched DCNR’s funding with more than $55,000.
Streamside forests are an important tool for protecting water quality. Trees along streams act as filters to keep sediment and pollutants from reaching the water. They also help protect streambanks from erosion and improve habitat for fish and wildlife.
The Western Pennsylvania Conservancy released a drone video of the largest planting site from this project, located in Galeton, Pennsylvania. The planting includes more than 1,200 trees and 1,400 shrubs.
